The Secret Union
by watercrystals
Summary: #12 isn't a rule to them, it's a challenge. Tony and Ziva know there is a loophole, and they are prepared to take the risk. And then they discover a surprise Kate left behind... Heavily Tiva, with mild hints of previous Tate. AU. Season 9 time period.


**Author's Notes:** _I have planned to chapter 44 of this story so far. I want it to be realistic, so I try to keep everyone in-character the best I can. For chapter banners, summaries, videos (coming soon), and other related material or news for this story can be found at the website listed in my profile, which was designed for my readers. The banner and summary for the next chapter is already available for viewing. Enjoy!_

* * *

It was late at night and the NCIS bullpen was quiet.

Only two Special Agents were still working, though each ignored the papers in front of them. Tony and Ziva had barely said a word since the others had left for the night, as their minds weighted with unsettling realisations and an unexplainable confusion.

Until now, neither of them would have ever thought to risk it all for their one chance. For years they had been co-workers and friends, even if a year ago they could not deny the truth any longer. After much struggle and inner stubbornness, the pair had to accept there was potentially more than a strong friendship between them. But they could not be together, not as a couple, or anything beyond what they already were. Not with Gibbs' infamous rule number twelve: never date a co-worker. Tony had joked once, about there being a loophole, but it had only been a moment of humour at the time. He and Ziva hadn't taken the concept seriously, or considered it to be a real alternative.

And then they met Petty Officer Jacey Kleen.

Her friend, Brett Chambers, was murdered, and it had been Tony's job to tell her the terrible news. He had seen how distraught she became over the death, and the way Jacey collapsed onto her living room floor, sobbing. He knew right away she'd been more than friends with the deceased Marine. It followed routine questions, which was how he uncovered the truth, even though the details were barely useful to their investigation.

What she'd told him had a profound impact on Tony.

Jacey had calmed long enough to tell him about her secret crush, and how she'd waited a long time for the right moment to tell the Marine how much she loved him. And it was too late. Tony felt sad that Brett had died not knowing his best friend had cared so deeply for him. The Special Agent spent almost two hours talking to Jacey, and when he returned to NCIS later that day, he could barely say a word. After sitting down, Tony had looked over his desk at Ziva and pondered on other lost opportunities.

Two days later, Jacey Kleen's body was found lifeless in a park not far from her home.

With no leads to go by, Ziva was given the Petty Officer's journal to read in hope it would lead them to something useful. Perhaps the deceased woman had mentioned something about the dead Marine, or clues as to who might have murdered them both.

Ziva read pages of secrets, and of a woman who had loved her best friend, but not told him just how much. She read the fears Jacey had about her father's company and the reactions the pair may get if they professed their feelings to each other. Through Jacey's detailed journal, Ziva learned what Tony had not. Jacey had not been alone in her feelings, as it appeared to have been mutual. The pair had wanted to talk about it and maybe find some sort of solution. Instead, they had bid their time and waited for the right moment, while each secretly longed for a partner they felt they couldn't have.

Now, Jacey and Brett were dead.

Their love had never been given a chance to be explored, leaving it to become a "what if" story written only in a journal left behind. After reading the final page, Ziva exhaled and glanced across the room at Tony. She wondered if the situation was the same.

It was night, and the case had been closed almost an entire month ago. Tony and Ziva maintained a level of quiet, knowing they were some of the only ones left in the building at such an hour. They'd worked for a while, but now they had paused and allowed their thoughts to consider similar topics. They both remembered Jacey and how in love she had been with her best friend. She had been too afraid to take a chance and too willing to wait for the right time, which had never come. Jacey had missed her opportunity and somehow, without saying much to each other, both Tony and Ziva were worried they would miss theirs.

'I do not know how much more of this I can take.' Ziva exhaled as she broke the levelled silence of the bullpen. She shook her head and shoved her papers into a folder, soon dismissing it into a depths of a desk draw.

'Me neither.' Tony leaned back in his chair, having lost all interest on his paperwork over twenty minutes ago.

Slowly, he looked over at her with a thoughtful expression. They hadn't said Jacey's name in over three weeks, yet somehow they knew it was the subject for their late-night conversation.

'I keep remembering the way she broke when I told her he was dead.' Tony admitted.

'And the way she knew there could be something more between them, but did not act on it.' Ziva continued.

'Let's not forget it was apparently shared.' Tony sighed. 'I mean, they both knew it could become something better. They both wanted it to.'

'And yet, they did nothing.' Ziva's brown gaze lifted to meet Tony's green eyes. 'They took time for granted. They assumed there would be another day, another time to take that last step.'

'The leap of faith.' Tony finished in agreement. 'And now they're both dead. It's gone...'

'Before it could even begin.' Ziva looked away.

The conversation seemed to halt with her words.

Tony didn't comment and looked towards the window, his expression showing he was thinking about something serious. He tried to sort through the similarities he had noticed, and other facts he wanted to ignore, but couldn't.

'Of course, they weren't co-workers.' Tony said quietly.

'No.' Ziva nodded. 'They were not. But they were friends. Best friends.'

'I'm sure they depended on each other. They'd have to, after all that time.' Tony returned his attention to Ziva, who stared back at him with a complex expression. 'Maybe they knew each other better than most. They would have trusted each other with their lives, right?'

'There are other things to consider.' Ziva frowned.

'Maybe.' Tony rose from his seat and walked to her desk. He sat on the edge of it and stared downwards at her stern, contemplative face. 'Or maybe they didn't try hard enough? You know, we've been friends for a long time.'

'It is not the same.' Ziva quickly dismissed and avoided his gaze. 'We cannot.'

'Why not?' Tony startled her with his seriousness.

His question asked so much, and Ziva wasn't sure what to say as she searched his gaze.

'Rule twelve, Tony.' She reminded him.

Tony nodded and stood, but did not leave the spot in front of Ziva, as he continued to watch her carefully. Ziva rose also and stood her ground, as she stared back at him. Tony noticed her hesitation and the confusion towards his honest questioning regarding the matter.

'So that's it, then?' Tony frowned. 'Another missed opportunity? We'll just crush it before it begins, like they did?'

'We must.' Ziva sounded regretful, yet determined in her response.

'Really?' Tony stepped closer to her, closing the space between them, and stared intently into her reluctant gaze. 'Or are we too scared? What's the worst that could happen, really?'

'Gibbs would not be happy.' Ziva insisted. 'We would lose our jobs, Tony.'

'We could lose a lot more.' He reasoned.

He placed a hand on her forearm while keeping his eyes fixated on hers. Tony leaned closer, aware of the firm stare she aimed at him while she attempted to figure out his intentions. His lips almost touched her ear when his warm breath whispered words to her.

'Just think about it.' Tony said softly.

He leaned back abruptly, and Ziva watched him return to his desk.

The workload was still piled in front of him, and Tony tried to focus on it with little success. He didn't look at her again, though Ziva's thoughts raced faster than her heartbeats. She was filled with uncertainty towards a huge risk, and a desire she wanted to succumb to.

She did the only thing she thought was in her control at that moment.

Ziva wordlessly grabbed her coat and packed away her files, preparing to flee the room. When she headed for the elevator, Tony's eyes followed her until the doors closed. A moment later, he had risen from his desk once again and prepared to depart the office as well.

Though they both headed home at separate times and in different directions, after a very long day of work, neither Tony nor Ziva got much sleep that night.

* * *

They didn't discuss it the next day, nor the one after that.

A week went by without any mentioning of the event, and Ziva started to wonder if Tony had somehow forgotten the subject entirely. Frustrated and confused, she buried herself in work one Monday afternoon, while Tony left the room without giving her much notice at all.

He headed to the evidence garage, where he found Jimmy Palmer waiting for him.

'I got your message.' Jimmy said, though the fact was rather obvious because he'd showed up at the requested time and location. 'This is an odd place to meet.' He commented and looked around.

Normally there was an impounded vehicle being worked on, or various employees coming and going, but on this afternoon they were alone. It was how Tony had carefully planned it.

'Did you tell Ducky where you were going?' Tony asked. 'Were you followed?'

'No.' Jimmy worried. 'I don't think so. What's going on?'

'I have to ask you something.' Tony said importantly. 'Just between us.'

He then told his friend the basics of the situation, and what recently happened between himself and Ziva. Tony was used to keeping things to himself when it mattered most, but this had been eating at him and he wasn't sure what to do. Tony hadn't even known who else to trust at first, but Jimmy had proven to be reliable in the past, and he simply had to ask _someone._

'And if Gibbs finds out...' Tony exhaled. 'Well, you know.'

While Tony tried to ward off images of his own death at the hands of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Jimmy only nodded in understanding and considered the information he was entrusted with. His silence made Tony rather anxious, but Jimmy wasn't going to comment until he was sure of what he had to say. He knew Tony valued his opinions, at least, so Jimmy tried to think of something helpful and relevant to say.

'You have to talk to him.' Jimmy finally spoke.

'If I do that he's going to fire us, and I hate that.' Tony complained.

'Yeah.' Jimmy agreed. 'Yeah, but when something means this much, then you have to ask yourself: is it worth the risk?'

Jimmy wasn't sure how useful he was being, but Tony considered what he'd been told.

Slowly the words focused his thoughts, which had been confusing him all week, and the overall question stuck Tony rather hard. There were so many variables to consider, and a lot more than pride was at risk, but Jimmy was right to ask if it was worth it. Did Tony really want to give a relationship with Ziva a chance, so much that he would be willing to risk everything for it? The answer surprised him, because Tony would never have imagined it would be easy to answer or that he was capable of doing what he knew he was going to.

'Thanks, Palmer.' Tony said, turning to leave the garage with renewed determination. 'It is.'

* * *

Tony wanted to wait until the end of the work day to talk to Ziva again.

Until then, he had something else to do that was equally important. After exiting the elevator, which had taken him from the garage after he'd finished talking to Jimmy, Tony headed for the Director's office. The assistant let him approach the door, where he exhaled nervously and contemplated what he was about to do. Tony knocked on the door and stepped inside, thinking on what to say and hoping he could go through with his decision.

Vance was expecting him.

'Agent DiNozzo.' Vance greeted him in a professional manner. The NCIS Director remained calm and casual, though it was clear he was curious about what was going on.

'Is this room secure?' Tony asked. 'I need to ask you something, but it's private.'

'You may speak freely.' Vance confirmed after he made sure their meeting would not be disturbed. 'I wasn't aware that Special Agent Gibbs was working a case. What's this about?'

'It's not case-related.' Tony sat in the chair across from the Director. 'It's more personal than that. Before I say anything, I need your word that you won't tell Gibbs.'

'You have my word.' Vance nodded. 'Is there a problem?'

'Yeah. Gibbs.' Tony frowned. 'He has this rule about co-workers dating each other. Or rather, not dating each other.'

'So I've heard.' Vance sat down at his desk and waited for the agent to continue, now having a basic idea as to where the discussion might be going.

'I checked. There's no NCIS policy against it.' Tony said. 'But Gibbs said he'd fire us if we broke the rule. The man's got more issues than John Gustafson.' He joked, thinking of the film _Grumpy Old Men_. 'So, anyway, I was wondering-'

'You want insurance?' Vance guessed. 'It's true, there is no such policy at NCIS. There never was. There are married agents working in different departments or the same. What exactly are you asking for, Agent DiNozzo?'

'Insurance.' Tony agreed. 'If I were to marry someone, could the details not be placed in my official record? I understand the updates are required, but we both know a few people who could find out anything they wanted to from the files, with a bit of curiosity and determination.' He was referring primarily to McGee and Abby, which was a fact the Director picked up on rather quickly with the look Tony gave him.

'The details of marital status, either marriage or divorce, must always be up-to-date in your file. This includes the name, contact, address, and so on.' Vance said. 'However, I could, in the special circumstance of requested confidentiality, update your file non-electronically.'

'You mean record it down on paper?' Tony sat straighter in his chair at the idea of what was being offered. 'You would really do that? I'd rather no one knows who I'm marrying. Something tells me she'll agree.'

'That is correct.' Vance answered. 'Unless she is NCIS personnel _and_ changes her name, which would call for a modified ID, your private marriage can be a_ "need to know"_ detail. Your secret would be otherwise safe from anyone, including Gibbs, unless the information comes directly from yourself or your wife.'

'I really appreciate this, Director.' Tony exhaled with relief. 'I'll get back to you by the end of the week. Hopefully I'll have changes to report.' He rose from his seat and was in a much better mood than he had been an hour ago. 'Thanks, again.'

'You're welcome, Agent DiNozzo.'

Tony left the office and returned to his desk in the bullpen with a pleased smile spread across his face. McGee and Gibbs noticed, but said nothing, whereas Ziva eyed him with suspicion and displeasure. She purposefully remained at her desk when the others packed up for the night to go home, until she and Tony were once again the only two left in their area of the building.

'I try not to gloat, but sometimes my skills surprise even me.' Tony joked as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of her desk, just like he had a week ago. 'I have a solution to our little situation.'

He didn't give her a chance to ask anything or mock his words, and continued to vocalise his plans.

'We're not going to get fired if we decide to do this. I cleared it with Director Vance.'

'You...what?' Ziva stared. 'What did you do?'

'Just got us a little insurance, theoretically speaking.' Tony smirked. 'He said the updates to our files can be done on paper, which should keep Team Abby-McGeek at bay and therefore unable to hack our files. As long as we don't say anything about it, no one needs to know. Not even Gibbs. Vance said something about special circumstances, which will work in our favour.'

'Just like that?' Ziva frowned with scepticism. 'The loophole? Tony, you're talking about marriage!' She hissed and stood to glare at him, keeping her voice low even if there was no one around to eavesdrop.

'I know.' Tony nodded. 'It is the only loophole to the rule. We can plan everything, and we know how to be careful. We won't wear our rings, and you don't have to change your name. We can do this, Ziva.' He insisted. 'We won't even have to lie. Withholding information isn't really lying, I don't think. It'll be like we're undercover, except this time it'll be real.'

'Stop.' Ziva grabbed his hand and tightly gripped it with both of her own. 'Tony, think about what you are saying. We have never even been on a proper date, and now you're talking about marriage? You do not have the best track record for long-term relationships. What if this does not work out?'

'There's always divorce. It worked for Gibbs.' Tony smirked. 'Or murder.' He added sarcastically, but his grin faded quickly when she did not look amused. 'Ziva, this might be our only chance. If you really think it's not worth the risk, or you really don't want to go there, then fine. Tell me now, and I'll never bring it up again.'

Ziva was quiet and her hands slipped off his.

She averted her gaze, considering what he'd said, and tried to deny he was right. She could easily tell he was very serious, and honestly wanted to marry her just to see if they had a chance together without being fired for _"dating a co-worker"_, as Gibbs frequently warned them against.

'Marriage is a huge commitment, I know.' Tony carefully watched her expression as he spoke. 'It can just be a title at first. I mean, married people don't really _"date"_ each other - they go places and have a good time.' He shrugged. 'We can take it slow.'

'We would be husband and wife, Tony.' Ziva sighed. 'We would share the same house, and the same bed. There is no such thing as taking it slow once we have crossed that line. I cannot believe you would even think something like this.'

'Can you really blame me?' Tony stepped closer. 'I know we can make this work, Ziva. But you didn't answer my question: do you think it is worth the risk, to explore what we might have and what it could become?'

Slowly, Ziva lifted her dark gaze to meet his own. She didn't say anything at first, her mind thinking on moments in the past and what she knew she felt about him now.

They barely moved, until she released a breath and clasped a hand over his once again.

'Yes.' Ziva whispered with a hesitant smile. 'It is.'

* * *

The next morning started like any other day at NCIS. Only two people knew otherwise, as Tony and Ziva sat quietly at their desks to finalise some paperwork. Gibbs was sipping a cup of coffee, and McGee typed away at his computer - each were unaware of the reciting going through their team-mate's minds.

There hadn't been a lot of chatter the night before, after Ziva had agreed to take the risk of marrying Tony for a chance.

Tony, who was still trying to wrap his head around the concept and his own doubts, did not trust himself to speak. They had talked about taking the first chance they had, which meant the pair had to find a one-hour window to_ "seal the deal"_, as Tony had called it.

Like any undercover operation, the two Special Agents focused intensely on details and secrecy. They had to make it believable that nothing was going on, and nothing had changed, while also taking every necessary precaution. They stood by their firm determination not to lie. Ziva, and to an extent, Tony, did not have difficulty lying about a variety of things, but the pair knew one day Gibbs would find out what they had done. And in the long-term, knowing and honestly saying they had never lied to him about the situation was the only comfort they could grasp.

They had brushed over a few concerns, but neither were given much chance to talk properly about how they were going to begin the journey they each hoped wasn't going to crash and burn them both in a matter of weeks, or even months. It was an incredibly rash and enormous decision they had made, which they doubted constantly, and they were going to go through with it. Tony and Ziva were going to elope in the soonest moment of free time they had. If they got a case, all the pair needed was for Gibbs to send them off to talk to someone. A slightly longer-than-anticipated detour would hardly be noticed, they assumed.

While Ziva kept her composure with practised ease, Tony continued to fret in his seat all day. He constantly glanced at Gibbs, waiting for a phone call that never came, and wondered if he could really follow through with the plan. He had dated a lot of woman in his life. Some he remembered the names of, others he barely recalled if they'd been blonde with blue eyes or brunette with hazel eyes. He always stared when a beautiful woman was in his sights, and Tony was rarely with one for more than a few days, or even a couple of weeks.

And now he was going to get married on a whim, a mere possibility, and to only one woman. If it wasn't Ziva, Tony did not think he could go through with it. But it was her. His partner, his friend, his...wife? He cracked a smile, thinking of how silly it sounded in his mind to remind himself that at any given moment he would be married to Ziva.

However, luck was not on his side that day.

There was no case, and Tony was left feeling even more anxious that night as he said goodbye to his co-workers and headed home. He stopped for a pizza along the way, and was still trying to make sense of the situation. It had been so simple when he'd suggested it, until he stepped into his apartment and kicked the door shut with his foot. He placed the closed pizza box on his coffee table and sank into the couch.

Hanging his head, Tony closed his eyes and exhaled.

Marriage was a big deal.

Usually, it involved a period of getting to know someone and falling in love. Then there was a stunning ring, a promise of forever, and a meaningful wedding shared with friends of family. Honestly, all Tony had thought about until that night was getting Ziva to agree to it, and the fantasised honeymoon afterwards. Everything in between had been lost on him, and now it flooded his senses.

He felt overwhelmed at first, and then robbed. Tony felt guilty he was stealing the build-up from Ziva. Surely all woman dreamed of a perfect guy to propose only out of love, and then a fancy wedding to show for it? Ziva was different than other women, but still Tony wished they could do things properly. Marriage for them was going to be entirely different to any other marriage, as they would exchange vows first then get to know each other on that romantic level.

All because Gibbs created a rule he fiercely enforced without faltering.

Frowning, Tony thought about what they would be missing out on. Extracting a slice of pizza to eat, he leaned back against the couch and wondered if there was a way to make it easier, or more festive. Signing a contract seemed too ordinary and simply business. He had an idea, but knew it too would involve a window of time where he could conduct it.

He thought there would be an opportunity before work the next day, but there wasn't.

Typically, Gibbs called just after sunrise to tell him a Marine had been shot in Maryland. Tony dragged himself out of bed and prepared for the day, growling and complaining the entire time. He proceeded to remain relatively quiet at the crime scene, which many of the others noticed with concern. Ziva gave him a few glares, but she too seemed deep in thought and unable to work out what to say.

Tony tried to be his usual self, but his mind had never felt so active with plans and considerations all at once. He snapped photos, bagged and tagged evidence, interviewed a witness, and got head-slapped by Gibbs at least twice. He'd even managed a movie reference, though this time only to keep up appearances.

He was in luck during lunch the following day. Tony announced he was going to get lunch and asked what everyone wanted. With a list of food and drinks to retrieve, Tony headed to the elevator with an extra piece of paper hidden in his pocket. He'd researched, as discreetly as he could, stores to visit on his lunch run. He checked them first, peering through the windows as he tried to convinced himself, at each and every store, to go inside.

When he began to worry it would take him days to find what he was looking for, Tony finally spotted it. The last store on his list was smaller than the others, and slightly pricier, but it had the one he had searched for.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' A short-haired blonde woman asked him, following his gaze to the case in front of them.

Tony didn't comment as he stared through the glass at the small object.

He felt silly for being there at all, yet he could not tear his eyes from the silver band of the ring, which was formed in a wavy pattern he found was simple but gave it a more appealing uniqueness about it. The diamond in the center seemed shiner than the others in the case, though he suspected it was only the lighting or because he was so focused on that particular engagement ring.

The idea of buying it for Ziva seemed pointless, and at the same time, right.

Exhaling, in complete indecisiveness, Tony checked his watch and frowned. He was out of time and had to pick up the food before everyone got suspicious.

* * *

It would be another three days before Tony and Ziva were granted their chance to marry.

McGee had given them a list of shipmen, which Gibbs ordered the pair to talk to. It wasn't urgent, but did have importance to the slowly progressing case of a murdered Sailor.

They left the office quickly, and seemed incapable of speaking until they reached the car. Tony drove, and felt he was steering them to their pending doom. Finally their moment had arrived, and he was even less sure of it than he'd been when he'd suggested it. Ziva looked calm, but her lack of speech told him otherwise.

'This is it.' Tony said as he parked the car across from their first stop, which was only a block away from their designated building. 'Let's go talk to the guy and get this over with.' He exhaled.

Crossing the street, they walked towards the driveway and looked around. A gathering of some sort appeared to be going on, as there were several cars parked in front of the house and the road it belonged to.

Ziva knocked on the door, while Tony spied through a nearby window.

'Yes?' A woman answered the door, looking tired and confused.

'Hi. I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, and this is my partner, Special Agent Ziva David. NCIS.' Tony told her. 'Is a Will Burke home?'

'He's my son.' She nodded. 'What's NCIS?'

'Seriously?' Tony rolled his eyes. 'Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Can we talk to your son?'

'Yeah, sure.' She sighed. 'I'll get him.'

The door closed a moment later, drowning out the chatter they'd heard from within. Tony and Ziva shared a look, each thinking of what they were going to do after they had spoken to Will, and wondered if they both had the courage to go through with it. It was like a dentist appointment they knew had to happen, but weren't sure when the appointment would be available until the last minute.

'Yeah?' Will stepped outside the house and looked them both over, clearly wondering why he had been called from his sister's birthday party to talk to two NCIS Agents.

'Will Burke?' Ziva clarified.

'That's me.' He nodded. 'What's this about?'

'We just have a few questions about a buddy of yours.' Tony said. 'Jordan Hayes?'

'He's not really a buddy.' Will shrugged. 'I barely know him. We went out for a couple of drinks now and then, but that's it.'

'You never spoke on the phone, or shared a meal?' Tony continued to question, though he soon fell quiet when Ziva took over.

He was losing his ability to focus on one thing, such as their current case. He remained quiet, as he had been doing a lot lately, and allowed Ziva to conduct the rest of the interview.

When they left the house, with Will heading back inside to rejoin the party, the pair hadn't gained anything of dire importance to their case, and were both on edge for different reasons. Ziva, keeping an eye out as her jacket wasn't as long as usual and she didn't want to alarm neighbours by showing her gun, returned to the car with Tony at her side.

'So, our next stop...the temple of marriage.' Tony joked, with a nervous tone to his voice. 'That is, assuming you still have the guts to go through with it?'

'Me?' Ziva scoffed. 'Are you sure you even know what marriage is?'

'I looked it up in the dictionary once.' Tony played along, reaching the car. 'It's still worth it, right?'

'I already told you, Tony.' Ziva looked over at him. 'And this is a very bad idea. Marriage is supposed to be sacred. Can we just get this over with?'

'It's our only option right now.' Tony reminded her. 'I thought this was what you wanted? We can finally be together, Ziva.'

'It is.' Ziva sighed and got into the car, which he joined her. 'I do not like the suspense, but yes, I will marry you.'

'But you're worried about what happens if Gibbs finds out?' Tony guessed. 'Don't worry. We'll be legally married by noon.' He said and started the engine of the car. 'Trust me, Ziva.'

'I'm trying to.' She exhaled and looked out the window until they arrived at their destination.

'Though, I still can't believe we're actually doing this, for real.' Tony confessed as he followed her to the doors. 'Oh, wait!' He grabbed her elbow lightly to stop her.

He returned to the car and searched through his bag in the back seat.

Ziva stood by the doors with impatience, trying to see what he had concealed behind his back as he rejoined her. Tony wore a grin on his face, and it only made her more nervous than she already was.

'I thought, with the way we're doing this and the less-than-traditional reasons...' Tony shrugged. 'Well, I didn't want you to miss out on everything that comes with weddings and all that. So, here.'

He offered her a bright red rose.

Ziva, not sure what to say, accepted the flower and sniffed it with appreciation. It was a sweet thing to do, though she was a bit surprised by the sentiment, and didn't understand what was so important about the rose until the sunlight reflected against it. Something sparked inside the petals, which Ziva moved closer to see, and gasped at the sight.

'I know you already agreed.' Tony added. 'But, for the sake of tradition, Ziva David, will you marry me?'

'You are kidding, right?' Ziva lifted the engagement ring from within the rose and smiled.

She thought it was stunning, and was clearly not a cheap variety. Offering him a fond look, Ziva slipped it onto her finger and nodded.

'Yes, Tony.' Ziva stated.

Tony grinned and felt some of his anxiety fade, until he looked at the door facing them and gulped. Biting his lip, he checked the time and knew they had to hurry. Grabbing her hand, he tugged her inside and walked towards a lady behind the counter.

'One marriage, please.' Tony told her with a humorous smile.

She did not seem to find his joke too amusing, and firmly told them to sit nearby as someone was getting married right then and they would have to wait their turn. In a matter of minutes, Tony and Ziva would be walking down an isle and exchanging basic vows in holy matrimony. When they returned to NCIS later that afternoon, the pair would be husband and wife.

The ceremony was short, but nice, and lasted barely fifteen minutes. The wore wedding rings as they stepped outside and looked towards the car they had arrived in. They were both grinning, as anyone should be after getting married, but had little time to even comprehend what they had just done.

Getting into the car, the newly-weds consulted the list McGee had given them and continued with their job of tracking down and interviewing anyone who knew or had seen their victim in the past four months.

They arrived at the Navy Yard later than planned, by about two hours, but Gibbs didn't mind. Tony and Ziva returned with a few leads, so the case moved forward and they finally had someone to interrogate.

While Gibbs and McGee went to pick up the suspect, Tony and Ziva stayed at their desks.

No one had asked Ziva about the lone rose she had come back with, which now sat in a vase on her desk, and for that they were thankful. Tony was called to Abby's lab, leaving Ziva behind to contemplate where she was going to store her rings. They had taken them off shortly before returning to NCIS, but they couldn't store them in their pockets forever.

They both wanted to keep them close, regardless of the priority of their secret.

They kept saying it was a game and an undercover mission, but neither Tony nor Ziva ignored the fact they were legitimately and legally married to each other. They wanted to respect that, and pay it tribute in any way they could without exposing it.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I appreciate any and all feedback on this story, so please review.**


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